If you’ve stored data on premises in the past, you may be concerned about using cloud-based storage for an Alert Tech pilot.
Here are some of the common concerns we hear:
- Is cloud-based data secure enough?
- What if we need additional scrutiny (e.g., PCI Compliance, HIPAA)?
- What other companies are sharing our server?
These concerns have some validity. Let’s take a look at just how much.
The Fears of Using Cloud Storage
Yes, there are challenges using the cloud. It’s important to carefully vet the reliability of your cloud provider, and analyze the measures that are taken to secure the data and comply with regulations.
However, note that many argue that well-managed cloud storage is MORE secure than on-premise storage:
- INFOR: Examining the Security of Cloud-Based vs On-Premise Deployments (whitepaper)
- INFORMATION AGE: The Great IT Myth: Is Cloud Really Less Secure Than On-Premise?
- TECH TARGET: Clouds Are More Secure Than Traditional IT Systems – and Here’s Why
- INFO WORLD: The Public Cloud is More Secure than Your Data Center
Since there are numerous advantages to cloud-based storage, those need to be considered as well. Let’s dig into each of core benefits.
Advantages of the Cloud
The cloud has taken the business world by storm for good reason. Many industries store data on the cloud for the following reasons:
It makes data readily accessible to the people who need it
There are a lot of key players in a test pilot. From the store’s managers to corporate headquarters and the Alert Tech team, people in a variety of locations need access to the data to analyze what’s happening. When data is stored in the cloud, everyone has real-time access to the latest numbers.
It’s easy to scale solutions
Assuming you see an ROI from your pilot and make the decision to roll out Alert Tech technology to other stores, you want the transition to happen quickly. With everything stored in and managed from the cloud, it’s easier to spin up or decommission servers.
It’s easier to recover from outages
Murphy’s Law: “If something can go wrong, it will.” Such is the case with technology and when that something goes wrong, you want to know that you can get back up and running quickly. With cloud-storage, you can.
On-site storage might need to be replaced, causing you to lose your data all together. Or, you might need to go through the hassle of setting all of the hardware back up again after an outage. With cloud-based storage, your data is accessible as soon as you have Internet access again.
It’s cost effective
Each setup includes creating a database, a data storage warehouse, installing cloud applications and setting up analytics. Alert Tech is able to set up a cloud instance more quickly and cost effectively than an on-premise solution.
Is On-Premise Data Storage Possible With an Alert Tech Test Pilot?
Although we strongly recommend cloud-based storage, we do work with a handful of companies that prefer to store data on-site. This requires additional work, and the following considerations:
- Alert Tech must be able to monitor the service in order to provide real-time reporting and updates.
- Alert Tech must be able to update the service so that the test pilot always contains the most recent edition of all the software and services offered.
Without this access, the test pilot will function at limited capacity and the results will not be as accurate as possible.
Have Additional Questions?
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